I was very interested to read about an experience from my friend Pol Sabrià (founder of Olapic, which was recently acquired by Monotype). He detailed how his newly launched company Remotely just ran their first customer discovery process.
With Olapic, it took them four years to evolve from a blurry intuition of an idea to a product that finally found a market fit. The reason? They never effectively ran a customer discovery process. Instead, their process was highly expensive and inefficient: they built things, tried to sell them, brainstormed about why sales weren’t happening, and then tried to do it all again. In summary, they were shooting darts and hoping to hit something, and missing most of the time.
With Remotely, they've taken a very different approach. They’ve decided to “start at the end”, by allocating time up-front to run a proper customer discovery process where they could correctly identify and hone in on their ideal customers and the values they were truly looking for.
We all learn from our mistakes. Having personally gone through similar trial and error, I’ve now developed the experience to make sure all our clients are taken through the proper steps to achieve success. This includes investing time in defining the right Customer Journey Framework, before doing anything else.
This “Journey” was defined several years ago by Patrick Newbery & Kevin Farnham from Method, and still holds great relevance and value for clients today. It creates a framework for Integrating Brand, Experience, and Value in ways that are universally effective.
This method is part of our CORE Discovery, the method we use to help our clients understand, prioritize, and focus on a clear vision and plan before starting any design project.
The graphic above is too small but we are listing the different phases below:
1. Awareness
A customer becomes aware of a particular business, Brand, or product/service; he/she begins to realize that he/she has a need.
2. Consideration
The process of formalizing needs and weighing alternatives. This includes acting on needs but can also include the decision not to do anything.
3. Purchase
The decision to buy a product or service:the final stage of the customer acting on his/her needs; usually covers the transaction process up until first use.
4. First Use
This is the customer’s first unaided use of the product or service (some- times called the out-of-box experience), where his/her expectations meet reality.
5. Ongoing Use
Regular ongoing use and:
Emergence of new needs (through discovering features or finding gaps in value provided) and formalization of these needs into actions.
Problems that prevent realization of expected value (either through defects or lack of knowledge on how to use the product or service).
Sharing his/her experiences with other people through actions or words (either directly or indirectly).
6. Discontinue
The end of product or service use, because of obsolescence, business failure, lack of interest or perceived value by customer, or changes in his/her circumstances.
7. Recycle/Renew
The process of disposing of a product and the re-engaging with a service, perhaps through a new product.
· Customer Goals
Customer Perspective
o Needs
o Rational ThoughtProcess
o Emotional ThoughtProcess
o Influences
o Intended Actions
· Engagement Experience
Touchpoints
o Customer-Controlled
o 3rdParty-Controlled
o Channel-Controlled
o Business-Controlled
· Business Goals
Business Perspective
o Partners/Channels
o IT Systems ofEngagement
o Marketing/Sales
o Support/CRM
o Finance/Operations
Copyright© by Patrick Newbery, Kevin Farnham, and Method, Inc.